


It Wouldn't Be So Bad To Be Shakespeare...

by daughter_of_writers_block



Category: Something Rotten! - Kirkpatrick/Kirkpatrick/O'Farrell
Genre: F/M, Gen, IM ALIVE, and not dead, and phantom is 2, compromise!, into the woods is still 1, number 1 - Freeform, or number three, something rottenis great, this will be three
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 18:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13618812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daughter_of_writers_block/pseuds/daughter_of_writers_block
Summary: As if the fear of Bea possibly giving birth on the trip to America wasn't a big enough source of anxiety for Nick... Now, he was finding out about his brother's intention to marry a preacher's daughter at the arrival! With the stress of also having to write some hit show to keep his family alive, Nick wonders why he couldn't just be THE bard!!





	It Wouldn't Be So Bad To Be Shakespeare...

**Author's Note:**

> SOOOO I'm not dead! Just had writer's block (hence the username) BUT AHOY I HAVE RETURNED WITH A SOMETHING ROTTEN! TALE WHILE I SHOULD BE SLEEPING!!!!! ENJOYYYYY!

Nick followed around his pregnant wife, Bea everywhere. He had been for the past few weeks. As it became more and more physically (and mentally) obvious that she'd be delivering their baby soon, Nick felt more and more responsible for her. He felt it was his responsibility to help her if she went into labor with no doctors around. It had been a fear of his since the long boat ride began... Nick had heard of young mothers dying while giving birth and if that had happened to Bea... Nick shuddered at the horrific thought of losing the love of his life.

"You can do something else, you know," Bea teased, turning to face her husband. One hand was on her stomach as if she were feeling for the baby.

Nick gave Bea a crooked smile. "I know, I know. I just want to keep you safe."

Bea rolled her deep brown eyes. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again. Stop trying to protect me! I can handle myself. I'm a big girl, you know."

Nick turned bright red as he stammered a response, "I know! It-It's just that with you being pregnant and all you're twice as much as fragile as you were before. Not saying you were fragile before or anything, it's just that--"

Bea just shut him up with a tender kiss. When she pulled away, she smiled and quietly, yet sincerely muttered, "I love you. Go do your own thing now."

Nick gave a half-hearted smile and reluctantly walked back to his room, stealing one final glance at Bea, who was standing on the deck and looking at the sunset out at sea. Once he arrived, Nick pulled out a notebook and immediately felt his level of stress go flying up. He should've just stayed with Bea. Who's stupid idea was it to go back to work on his play anyway? Oh right... his.

Minutes ticked by and Nick wasn't able to write a single word. He eventually gave up for the day. He didn't need to write now... maybe he'd try again tomorrow. The one problem was, to Nick, 'tomorrow' probably meant next Thursday. With there being no way Bea would tolerate him following her again, Nick decided the next best thing. Follow his brother!!

Nigel was, and always had been a pretty reserved boy. He was probably somewhere quiet, writing, reading, (likely Shakespeare--ugh) or gazing into Portia's, the pretty daughter of a preacher back home, whom Nigel was in love with, eyes.

Nick was right.

Nigel was one deck down, discussing a play with Portia. Nigel seemed to be less interested in the book, which was a surprise, and more interested in Portia. Nick smiled at their adorable, geeky love as he walked over.

"Hey Nige," said Nick, leaning against a wall. "Hi Portia."

Nigel was taken from his trance almost immediately as Nick spoke. "Oh! Nick, it's just you. Nick."

"Yeah, it's me."

Portia giggled. "Hi Nick!"

Nick smiled at both of them. Nigel kept shyly glancing at Portia, then averting his eyes when she looked over. This earned a ton of girlish giggles from the cute blonde.

"Can I tell him? Please, please, please?!?" Portia begged, grabbing Nigel's hand after a few minutes of awkward glances and giggles.

Nigel's expression quickly changed from shy to shocked. "Um... it may be best not t-"

Before Nigel could even finish, Portia couldn't hold back whatever she wanted Nick to know any longer.

"Earlier today..." she began slowly, not catching Nigel's nervousness. "NIGEL PROPOSED!!! We'll be getting married after arriving to America!"

Nick's smile faded immediately. "What?"

This earned a few half-hearted and awkward chuckles from Nigel. "Isn't it great...?"

Trying not to lose his temper, Nick attempted at a fake smile again. "Yeah, yeah. I'm happy for you!"

Nick didn't know why he wasn't happy about Nigel and Portia's marriage... it definitely wasn't that he was too young, Nick had married at 16 when Bea was 14. A quite normal age for marriage in the 1500s, and Nigel was now 24. Maybe it was how he had never liked Portia's father, especially his hate for theatre. He hadn't liked the Bottoms very much either... It was probably that. But with Portia's dad an ocean away, there was no way to be upset. The two were a happy couple! They deserved to be married. The stress of everything else, perhaps.

Soon it was another night on the boat. Days weren't particularly great, but nights were hell. Literal hell. Sleeping in a crowded room, with a bunch of people... some of which could have the plague or the flu. Nick had seen sick people! And some people had even died! This added more anxiety to Bea's pregnancy. If she contracted an illness, she would probably die with the baby! Losing Bea would be bad enough, but losing his child as well... that would be work of the devil. Nick was so looking forward to being a father.

"Can't sleep?" a voice whispered into Nick's ear.

This caused him to jump. Then he turned around to see it was Bea, who obviously couldn't sleep either.

"I just... have a lot on my mind right now."

"Such as...?" Bea prodded.

"Well you..." Nick began. "I'm scared for you and the baby. And then Nigel... Nigel! Nigel, my innocent brother who spent his time writing plays behind the scenes, that Nigel. He's marrying Portia when we arrive."

Bea smiled. "That's great for Nigel! We told him he'd get a wife. He deserves it."

Ignoring her response, Nick also muttered, "And my play..." It was almost so quiet that no one could hear. Bea apparently could, though!

"I told you to take a break from that! It's too much stress for that brilliant little mind of yours."

Nick blushed. Good thing it was too dark for Bea to notice. "I need to get it done. It'll be a good source of money."

"Nick, shows can take years to write. Not a boat ride."

"Sometimes I just wish I was Shakespeare. I mean, I hate him but look at him! His status is nearly as high as royalty and he can write successful shows in weeks! I mean, he most likely stole them from someone, but he still has them. Unlike me. I'm the perfect image of a failure to the theatre community. I'm a failure to you, Bea."

Bea leaned in and kissed Nick's nose. "You are not a failure. You're my amazing husband." She motioned to her belly as she said. "And this baby's amazing father. You're just going through a hard time. Don't worry, you'll get over it. And about Shakespeare stealing his plays, you see why he does it now? It's hard!"

Nick nodded and chuckled quietly. "Thanks."

Soon after, Nick drifted off to a restless sleep, with Bea, peacefully next to him.

Then he woke up to a scream.

A horrible, earsplitting, blood-curdling scream.

And it was Bea.

Turns out she had just gone into labor and the poor girl could barely move. Nick was panicking and couldn't do much until a kind old man had offered to help take Bea to a ship doctor. Nigel and Portia had come along as well, to help Nick. He was forced out of the room while the birth was taking place. Apparently there were 'complications' and now Nick couldn't stop crying.

What if these complications meant they'd lose the baby?

Or he'd lose Bea?

The thought was too much to bare.

Nigel and Portia had tried to comfort a sobbing Nick, who wanted only to see his wife. It wasn't working and it didn't seem like it would. When the doctor came out to say the birth was complete, Nick ran inside. He kissed Bea, lightly yet thankfully, barely acknowledging the baby in her arms until pulling away.

"Is this...?"

Bea nodded. "It's our gorgeous baby girl. Our daughter."

At this point, both Nick and Bea were on the verge of tears. "What's her name? I was thinking you should get to name her."

Bea smiled. "I was thinking Poppy... it's sweet and the name of a beautiful flower."

"I love it," Nick couldn't take his eyes off his daughter.  _Poppy..._ Just yesterday, he thought his wife would die birthing her. Now, he and his very alive wife gushed over their new child.

When Portia and Nigel met baby Poppy, they both loved her just as much. Later in the day, while talking to other people, Nick thought he heard Bea say something about wanting a 'mini Nick' as well! Nothing to dwell on now!

All Nick's worries had vanished with Poppy's birth. He was a father now, and hopefully a good one! Nick thought of everything to come... Nigel and Portia's wedding, getting a nice little cottage in America... starting a theatre where he'd have no competition by bards who just so happened to be oceans away. Looking at his life now, Nick no longer wished his life would be similar to Shakespeare. If that was the case, he wouldn't be going to America. Maybe he'd never have married Bea and maybe he wouldn't have Poppy! He wouldn't rely on Nigel as much either. So many downsides, so Nick had decided he had it pretty good, being himself.

Who'd want to be THE bard anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> Oh god, this came to me so naturally it should be a crime. Yeah I still worked from 10-midnight even though it would probably be a good idea to get sleep... and also i will probably write more things with Poppy because I developed an older version a while ago before tying her into Something Rotten! and I love older Poppy do she will exist eventually!


End file.
